Instead of spending my Friday night meal planning, cocktail in hand, I made a Trader Joe’s run. To be honest, I went for peonies and to get out of the house by myself, as my husband has been out of town for the last few weeks. I walked out $100 poorer and peony-less (they were out). What I did gain was a freezer full of shortcuts to get me through another 10 days of solo parenting while my husband is gone again.

This week’s meal plan is inspired by some freezer shortcuts that I stocked up on at Trader Joe’s, but none of the recipes here require TJ’s-specific ingredients — many of these shortcuts can be found at any store. Plus these meals still make the most of summer produce while making dinnertime faster.